Gang vibrator construction



Dec. 3, 1940. v w M 2,223,734

GANG VIBRATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed April 13, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 lilfcrwQr/iZI/W 7/42 Dec. 3, 1940. A. w. MALL GANG VIBRATOR CONSTRUCTION FiledApril 13, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Weill '01 aria/i (all/aw M fly Dec. 3,194@. w L 2,223,734

GANG VIBRATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed April 15, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Patented Dec. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GANG VIBRATORoons'rnucrrlon Arthur William MalL'chicago, in. Application April 1a,1938, Serial no. 201,761 I 12 Claims. (01. 94-48 My invention relates togang vibrator mechanisms and like devices. U

My invention relates more particularly to vibrator mechanisms of thistype capable of being attached to screed handling machines or other roadmachinery for use in compacting unset cement or other road buildingmaterial.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a gangvibrator capable of being attached to road building or similarmachinery.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a mechanism capableof being operated from the road machine and capable of lateral movementupon the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a plurality of vibratorsadapted to be moved about and controlled as a single unit by an operatorfrom a platform on the road building machine to which the mechanism isattached.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a gangvibratorunit including a plurality of vibratory elements adapted to bedriven from a single source'of power.-

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved constructionof gang vibrators for operating a plurality of individual vibrator unitswith a single line shaft and a single source of power mounted pon theend of a screed or other road building machine.

. The improved gang vibrator which forms the subject matter of thisapplication may generally consist of a platform movable back and forthon the end of a screed supporting machine or other road buildingmachine. The platform is adapted to support a pivotally mountedsuper-structure upon which a gasoline engine is positioned. Thesuper-structure may also include a line shaft extending from side toside of the same and provided with a plurality of transmission membersfor operating individual vibrator units. The super-structure mustnecessarily be pivotally mounted so that the vibrators can be raised andlowered into the unset concrete when desired by the operator of thefinishing machine. With an arrangement like this it will be apparentthat the entire slab of' the road from one side to the other will bethoroughly vibrated internally with a minimum of power and in a minimumamount of time. i

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the followingdescription, wherein reference is had to the accompanying four sheets ofdrawings, upon which v I Fig. 1 is a front elevational viewof a'road'fied form of transmission showing the use of have chosen toillustrate,I have shown a porbujlding machine with my improved gang vibratormounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same;

Fig. 3 is a'vertical sectional view of a portion of the road machine andthe gang vibrator taken generally on the lines 3-3 of Fig. 1 with partsbroken away in section to more clearly show other parts;

' Fig. 4 is a similar vertical sectional view with the carriage for thegang vibrator in a changed position upon the road machine and with theend of the super-structure carrying the individualvibrators tiltedupwardly;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional View through the transmission andportion of the flexible shaft of an individual vibrator taken generallyon the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view through a modiindividual shafts betweeneach vibrator unit; and f I a Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of thesame with the shaft broken in section.

' In theembodiment of the invention which I adjacent the end of thesame.

The gang vibrator may be provided with a frame or carriage 22 positionedbetween the previously described channel members and provided withdownwardly extending side wall portions 24 andZG. The rollers 28 andMarc journalled in the side Walls 24 and and engage the channel membersl8 and 20. Thus the frame 22 may be rolled back and forth between thepositions shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings and ride in the'tracksformed by the channel members 18 and 20. 1 ,The'frame of the gang.vibrator may be provided with a bearing portion 32 which carries ahorizontally disposed shaft 34. The super-structure 36 may be formedwith the end walls 38 and 40 and be pivotally mounted upon the shaft 34.The structure may be formed with a rear platform 42 .to support a sourceof power such as the 50 gasoline engine 44. The side walls 38 and 40 mayextend forward and be rigidly connected to a horizontal channel member46 which is adapted to extendacross the front of the screed to a pointadiacent'both sides of the same. The channel 46 .the ball bearing member56.

may support a plurality of transmission housings 48 which are allconnected, as will be later described, to a horizontally disposed driveshaft 50. The shaft 50 is provided with a pulley 52 which is in drivingengagement with the drive Wheel 54 of the engine 44 by means of theV-belt members 56.

A worm wheel 52' may be provided in each of the transmission housingskeyed to the shaft 50 and in driving relation to a worm wheel 54vertically disposed in the housing 48 and mounted in The hub of the wormwheel-54 may have a screw threaded portion 58 mounted in the tappedopening 60 of r a hollow stub shaft 62. A flexible shaft 64 providedwith a screw threaded tip 66 may engage the 7 lower end of the tappedopening 6'8 of the shaft 62. A suitable coupler member 10 may connect itthe flexible shaft housing 12 to a stationary collar 14 in the lower endof the transmission housing 48. A look nut 16 may hold the same in afixed position. 1

The flexible shaft 64 may extend downwardly and be connected in drivingrelation toan offbalance weight in a vibrator casing 89 suspended belowthe transmission housing 48. The vibrator which includes the casing andthe unbalanced weight may be of the usual type shown and described in myPatent No. 2,073,393 dated March 9, 1937. Since that patent gives acomplete description of the construction of the same, further detailswill not be given herein. It is sufiicient to state that'the lower endof the flexible shaft is in driving engagement with an offset weightmounted in suitable bearings in the upper and lower, end of the shell ofthe housing of the vibrator.

With the apparatus thus described, it will be apparent that a singlesource of power such as the engine 44 may drive the line shaft 50 andimpart vibratory motion to a plurality of vibrator units 80. Because ofthe fact that it is necessary to raise and lower the vibrators into andout of the unset concrete, the super-structure which supports the engineand the gang of vibrators, has been pivotally mounted upon. the supportshaft 34 in the frame of the unit. It will also be obvious that theentire gang vibrator maybe moved back and forth between the parallelrails 16 -and3ll upon the rollers 28 and 20. .In order to swing thevibrators about as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 3, itl is onlynecessary to start rocking the super-structure upon the supporting shaft32.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I have shown a modified form of construction wherein Iemploy a plurality of individual shaft members 63connected to suitabledriving means in the transmission housings 48 The housings may besupported by'a hanger mounting 65 secured by suitable bolt members 61 tothe front channel member 46. It will be noted that "I have providedelongated bolt holes 69 in the channel members 46 so that the exactlocation of, the vibrator unit may be shifted sideways some distance, ifdesired. I

, Theftransmission housing 48 may be provided with a pair of splineddrive units H and 12 mounted in suitable ballbearing mountings 13 and'l5 inside chambers 11 and T9 of the transmission housing. Iprovide aspiral bevel gear'8l securely fastened to the splined driving members 72and H. The spiral bevel gear maymesh with asimila'rlyformed pinion 86provide'dwith a stub shaft65' mounted in a pair of'ballbearing members81 and 89 in a downwardly disposed portion 9| of the transmissionhousing.

A collar member 93 may be sorew-threadedly secured in the lower end ofthe housing 9|, being held in position by a lock nut 95. The lower end91 of the collar 93 is screw-threaded and adapted to engage in a tappedopening 99 in the flexible shaft collar 10' similar to that previouslydescribed. In a similar manner the flexible shaft 64 may have its tip 66engage in a tubular stub shaft 62 that isscrew-threadedly connected tothe portion 58 of the stub shaft 85.

It will be noted that the splined driving members II and 12 are securelyconnected together by the extension 1| which provides in thetransmission housing in effect a pair of oppositely directed 'splineddriving means. Suitable collars I03 and may be secured to the stubshafts 63 and enclose the open ends of the transmission housing.Suitable dust .eliminators and washers may be provided to effectivelyseal the opening so that no "dirt or dust may enter the transmissionhousing 48.

With the above construction, it will be seen that the individualvibrators and transmission housings may be shifted to the right or tothe left and by the use of the elongated slots 69 in the supportingchannel 46, and the comparatively long splined driving units 11 and 12,that a considerable movement of the transmission housings one way oranother may be made without in any way disturbing the efiicient drivefrom the source of power to the vibrators.

In the form which 'I have illustrated, I have provided a pulley 52 onone of the stub shafts which is adapted to be driven at approximately2300 R. P. M. With a 3 to' 1 ratio between the bevel gear 8| and thepinion 83, it will thus be seen that the vibrator attains a speed ofapproximately '7000 R. P. M.

From the above and foregoing description, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made intheopposite side of said frame, said driveshaft and engine connectedtogether in -driving relation, a pluralityv of bevel gearsion said lineshaft, anda plurality of vibrator units suspended ,below said gearhousings in driving connection with said bevel gears;

,2. :Apparatus of the. class describedadapted to be mounted upona roadbuilding machine, including :a ;pair;of spaced parallel channel .membersmounted on said road building machine, a truck, .a frame, mounted forback and forth movementbetween said channel membersrasecondframe-pi-votally mounted adjacent one endof said truck, an enginemounted upon said second frame, av horizontal driveshaft mounted at anoppositesideof said frame, said driveshaft and engineconnected together-;in; driving relation, 1a

plurality of bevel gears qon-said :line shaft, and

a plurality of vibratorunits suspended belowsaid gear housings indriving connection with said bevel gears, each of said vibrator unitsincluding a flexible shaft, a tubular casing and an unbalanced weightmounted in said casing and driven by said motor through said flexibleshaft.

3. Apparatus of the class described capable of being supported upon aroad building machine, including a pair of spaced parallel channelmembers disposed on said road building machine, a truck mounted for backand forth movement between said channel members, a. pivotally mountedframe carried by said truck, an engine disposed upon one side of aidframe, a plurality of transmission housings disposed upon another partof said frame, stub shafts in driving connection with all of saidtransmissions, and a plurality of vertically suspended vibrator unitsdriven by said engine through all of said stub shafts and saidtransmissions.

4. An apparatus of the class described comprising a frame, a source ofpower means mounted thereon, a plurality of transmission housings spacedfrom each other and mounted on the frame, vibrator units extending fromsaid housings, a shaft journalled in said housings and adapted to berotated by said power means, and means for adjusting the transmissionhousings and vibrator units longitudinally of said shaft.

5. A highway vibrating apparatus for compacting concrete comprising aframe, a source of power means mounted thereon, a plurality oftransmission housings spaced from each other and mounted on the frame,vibrator units extending from said housings, a shaft member journalledin said housings and adapted to be rotated as a single drive shaft bysaid power means, said shaft member comprising a plurality of separatesections operatively connected together within the transmissionhousings, said vibrator units being driven by said shaft member, andmeans for adjusting the transmission housings and vibrator unitslongitudinally of said shaft member.

6. A highway vibrating apparatus for compacting concrete comprising aframe, a source of power means mounted thereon, a plurality oftransmission housings spaced from each other and mounted on the frame,vibratory members extending from said housings, a shaft memberjournalled in said housings driven'by said power means and operativelyconnected to said vibratory members, said shaft member comprising aplurality of sections, certain of said sections having openings thereinand adapted to slidably reby the frame and driven by the power means,

means for adjusting each vibratory member longitudinally of the driveshaft and independently of the other vibratory members.

8. A vibrating apparatus for compacting concrete in highwayconstruction, comprising a frame, a source of power means mountedthereon, a plurality of transmission housings spaced from each other andmounted on the frame, vibratory members extending from said housings, ashaft member journalled in said housings, driven by said power means andoperatively connected to said vibrating members, said shaft membercomprising a plurality of sections, certain of said sections havingopenings and being disposed interiorl of the transmission housings, saidsections with openings being adapted. to slidably receive correspondingadjacent shaft sections, whereby adjustment of the transmission housingsand vibratory members longitudinally of the shaft member may be obtainedWithout interfering with the operation of said shaft member.

9. A vibrating device for compacting concrete in road constructioncomprising a frame having supporting members adapted to ride upon theforms containing the concrete, a carriage member movably mounted on theframe, a second carriage member pivotally secured to the first carriagemember, a plurality of vibratory units supported by the second carriagemember, said vibratory units capable of being raised or lowered relativeto the concrete by moving the second carriage member about its pivotalconnection with the first carriage member, and said vibratory unitsbeing capable of horizontal adjustment relative to the frame by movingthe first carriage member relative to the frame.

10. An apparatus as defined by claim 9 wherein the raising and loweringof the vibratory units relative to the concrete is facilitated by meansof a counter-balancing inertia weight carried by the second carriagemember.

11. An apparatus as defined by claim 9 wherein an inertia weight ismounted on the second carriage member on the side of the pivotalconnection opposite the vibratory units, whereby the raising andlowering of the vibratory units relative to the concrete is facilitated.

12. A vibrating device for compacting concrete in road constructioncomprising a frame having supporting members adapted to ride upon theforms containing the concrete, a carriage member movably mounted on theframe, a second carriage member secured to the first carriage member bymeans of a pivotal connection located in the intermediate region of thesecond carriage member, a plurality of vibratory units supported by thesecond carriage member, said vibratory units capable of being raised orlowered relative to the concrete by moving the second carriage memberabout its pivotal connection with the first carriage member, and saidvibratory units being capable of horizontal adjustment relative to theframe by moving the first Carriage member relative to the frame.

ARTHUR WILLIAM MALL.

